Research Skills
Overview
This subject aims to develop the skills necessary to undertake a research project and to assist the student in identifying appropriate research topics and methodologies.
Requisites
Assumed Knowledge
Exposure to some background in literature searching and assignment writing
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Independently gain the necessary knowledge to undertake meaningful research
- Identify appropriate research topics and methodologies
- Perform basic data management tasks and analyses using a computer
- Apply tools of research preparation including problem formulation, undertaking a literature review, research designs, developing a hypothesis, ethical implications, time management, and assessing resource implications
- Articulate the contributions of qualitative and quantitative methods to a specific discipline
- Carry out initial critical appraisals of academic literature
- Develop academic paper/report writing skills and understand the structure for publication
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Lecture | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Tutorial | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Independent Learning | 9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 |
| Examination | Individual | 40% | 1,2,4,5 |
| Mid-Semester Test | Individual | 20% | 1,2,4,5,7 |
Hurdle
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:
(i) an aggregate mark of 50% or more, and(ii) at least 40% in the final exam.Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.
Content
- Identification of proposed research topic, methodology and hypotheses
- Research preparation: Problem formulation, research design, objectives and scope, ethics
- Planning strategies, information sources, time management and team work
- Research methodologies appropriate to the health sciences
- Literature review: abstracting and paraphrasing, citations and bibliographies
- Research presentation and follow up: layout, style, press release and follow-up strategies
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.